Missile gun with rotatable hammer



Dec. 22, 1964 c. w. LAMBERT Mssm: GUN WITH ROTATABLE HAMMER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. l0. 1964 .MNTOR Dec. 22, 1964 c. w. LAMBERT MIssIvLE GUN WITH ROTATABLE HAMMER Filed Feb. l0. 1964 3,161,976 MISSILE GUN WITH ROTATABLE HAMMER Chandley William Lambert, Lake Dallas, Tex. Filed Feb. 10, 19.64, Ser. No. 343,765 4 Claims. (Cl. 42-5) The invention relates to portable hand guns in which a rotatable hammer is caused to contact successively spaced firing pins which in turn cause small missiles or darts to be ignited and launched from guides.

The gun is designed to receive a container in which are several missile darts, propelled by solid fuel, which can be tired singly or in rapid succession.

The gun is primarily intended to be used under water for the protection of skin divers, salvage divers and frogrnen.l

All of the operating parts of the gun are removable for inspection and cleaning. The mechanism is simple and reliable.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of the gun. `FIG. 2 is a detail explained later.

FIG. 3 isa cross section along the line 3 3 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is explained later. Y t

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross section along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1. l

FIG. 6 is a view of the entire gun including themissile container all at a reduced scale.

In FIG. 1, to the cylindrical frame 1 are secured a forward handle 2 and a removable grip 3 which includes the trigger guard. The removable rear cap 4 holds the interior mechanism in place. Transverse-plates 5-6-7 and 8 are held in position by cylindrical rings 9-10-11-12 and 13. All of these framing plates and rings have projections which, as in FIG. 5, fit into grooves at 82 and 83 which extend from the rear endl of cylinder 1 forwardly to Xed recoil ring 14 of FIG. 1.

Trigger 17 and hub 18 are secured to sleeve 19 which is loose on shaft 15. Trigger 17 is biased toward for- /Ward position 17A by compression spring 2t).

Trigger 17 projects downwardly through slot 51 in trigger housing 3, slot 52 in frame 1 and slot 53 in rings 9 and 10.

United States Patent O 3,161,976 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 When latch 42 is in the forward position, penetrating one of the oval openings 43 in plate -34 and the trigger is pulled, the rear edge of the opening 43 comes into contact with the latch 42. In this position the plate 34 and shaft 16 can rotate no farther forward. In this position also the pawl 28, of FIG. 4, snaps down behind the next tooth of ratchet wheel 27 and shaft 16 can not rotate backwardly. This holds the hammer 38, FIG. 2, half retracted, half rotated, and in a safe position halfway between two ring positions.

Between frames 7 and.8 is secured a nut 58.' [The fort ward end of cylinder 1 has an open space or receiver 59 -In FIG. 3 right ratcheting clutch plate 21 is secured l to sleeve 19 and clutchplate 22 is held in contact by spring 23. Plate 22 is splined to, turns with, and isgslidable on shaft 15 which vturns in` bearings 24-25 which have projections tting grooves 82 and 83 and are contacted by rings 9 and 10, FIGS. 1-3.

To shaft 15 is secured bevel gear 26 to the hub of which is secured ratchet wheel 27 which is contacted by spring pawl 2S, FIGS. 3 and 4, which is pivoted at 29 to a bracket on frame plate 5.

Bevel gear 3l) is secured to sleeve 31, FIGS. 1-3, rotatable in bearing 32 on plate 5. Shaft 16 is splined into, rotates with, and is longitudinally' slidable in sleeve 31.

In FIG. 1,l main tiring compression spring 33, bears against frame plate 5 and circular plate 34 whose hub 35 is secured to shaft 16. To plate 34 is secured toothed camming ring 36 which acts upon a similar ring 37 secured to frame 6. To the end of shaft 16 is secured hammer 38 which is raised by the camming rings 36-37, rotated by shaft 16 and dropped successively upon spaced tiring pins 39-39 which have individual springs 441-411 and are limitedly slidable in plates 7-8.

Secured to safety latch 42 is collar 44 which'has'a projection 45 slidable in a groove in bracket 46 and contactable to beveled spring pawl 47 which is pivoted on bracket 46.

To collar 44 is secured a pin 48 which extends through slot 50, FIG. 6, and has on the exterior end a nger grip 49. Latch 42 may be slid forward into one of the spaced oval slots 43-43, FIG. 5, of cam plate 34.

into which the ammunition container is placed and positioned by groove 60 and held by a threaded pin which is screwed into internal thread 61 of plate 8 and nut 58.

In FIGS. 1-6 are shown carrying lugs 56 and 57.

In operation, when trigger 17 is pulled, transverse shaft 15 rotates and the movement is transmitted to shaft 16 by the bevel gears. Cams 36-36 slide up on fixed cams 37-37. Shaft 16 moves rearwardly compressing spring 33.

Cams 36 drop between cams 37 and hammer 3S strikes a firing pin 39.

When trigger 17 is released, spring 20 moves the trigger to the forward position 17A and at the same time turns ratchet wheel 21 backwardly until each tooth of 21 engages the next successive tooth of 22 which is temporarily forced to the left.

It will be noted that by Vsimply removing the grip and trigger guard 3 and the rear cap 4, the entire assembly can be quickly and easily removed from the outer cylindrical frame V1, making easy inspection, cleaning and assembly of the parts.

I claim:

1. A missile gun combining, a cylindrical frame having a receiver forwardly and means for securing a missile container therein, a forward handle secured to said frame, a detachable rear hand grip and trigger guard secured to said frame, longitudinal grooves within said cylindrical frame holding the parts vof the mechanism in proper operative relationship to each other and to said frame, a trigger biased forwardly by a spring and rotatively disposed to operate a ratchet wheel rotatably connected to a transverse shaft, a longitudinal splined shaft receiving the ratcheting motion'from the said transverse shaft by meshing bevel v gears mounted on said transverse and longitudinal shafts, g a spring biasing said longitudinal shaft forwardly, spaced Y cams secured to said shaft, said spring holding saidvspaced to the said receiver, transverse frame plates and separating rings fitting within said cylindrical frame and having projecting lugsl fitting said grooves in said cylinder, an inwardly projecting shoulder within said cylindrical frame adjacent to said receiver and a removable rear frame cap on said cylinder holding said mechanism against said inwardly projecting shoulder.

2. In a missile gun as claimed in claim 1, said trigger y secured to a collar loose on said transverse` shaft, a cam wheel secured to said collar and cooperating with camming surfaces on a wheel splined to said transverse shaft, a spring biasing said camming surfaces against said cam Wheel which imparts a ratcheting rotary motion to said transverse shaft, and a separate ratchet wheel secured to said shaft contactable by a spring pawl pivoted on a transverse frame and preventing counter rotation of said shaft.

3. A missile gun as claimed in claim 1, in which a safety wheel is securedV to the longitudinal shaft, said wheel having elongated spaced openings arranged in a circle concentric to said shaft and contacted by a manually operable sliding safety latch, said latch having an attached lug contacted'by a spring pawl pivoted to the frame and requiring appreciable hand pressure for latch operation to prevent accidental operation of said latch.

4. In a missile gun as claimed in claim 1, a safe loading and carrying means combining, a wheel secured to said longitudinal shaft; spaced elongated holes in said wheel; a longitudinally slidable manually operable safety latch cooperative to said holes in said wheel; said latch and said holes allowing forward rotation of said longitudinal shaft and said hammer to a position half way between two tiring positions but said latch in one of said holes preventing fur References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 718,062 1/03 Weed 42-1 1,534,085 4/ 25 Schwaerzer 89-1 2,839,017 6/58 Smith 42-1 3,050,892 8/62 Vogler et al. 42-5 3,103,851 9/63 Rosenblem et al 89--1 BENJAMIN A.` BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MISSILE GUN COMBINING, A CYLINDRICAL FRAME HAVING A RECEIVER FORWARDLY AND MEANS FOR SECURING A MISSILE CONTAINER THEREIN, A FORWARD HANDLE SECURED TO SAID FRAME, A DETACHABLE REAR HAND GRIP AND TRIGGER GUARD SECURED TO SAID FRAME, LONGITUDINAL GROOVES WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL FRAME HOLDING THE PARTS OF THE MECHANISM IN PROPER OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID FRAME, A TRIGGER BIASED FORWARDLY BY A SPRING AND ROTATIVELY DISPOSED TO OPERATE A RATCHET WHEEL ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO A TRANSVERSE SHAFT, A LONGITUDINAL SPLINED SHAFT RECEIVING THE RATCHETING MOTION FROM THE SAID TRANSVERSE SHAFT BY MESHING BEVEL GEARS MOUNTED ON SAID TRANSVERSE AND LONGITUDINAL SHAFTS, A SPRING BIASING SAID LONGITUDINAL SHAFT FORWARDLY, SPACED CAMS SECURED TO SAID SHAFT, SAID SPRING HOLDING SAID SPACED CAMS IN CONTACT WITH SIMILAR SPACED CAMMING SURFACES SECURED TO A TRANSVERSE FRAME, A HAMMER SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND RECEIVING ROTATIVE MOTION FROM THE RATCHET ACTION AND STRIKING MOTION FROM THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT CAMS OVER THE CAMMING SURFACES SECURED TO THE FRAME, SPACED RETRACTABLE FIRING PINS HAVING RESTRICTED LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN A TRANSVERSE FRAME COOPERATIVELY TO THE SAID RECEIVER, TRANSVERSE FRAME PLATES AND SEPARATING RINGS FITTING WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL FRAME AND HAVING PROJECTING LUGS FITTING SAID GROOVES IN SAID CYLINDER, AN INWARDLY PROJECTING SHOULDER WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL FRAME ADJACENT TO SAID RECEIVER AND A REMOVABLE REAR FRAME CAP ON SAID CYLINDER HOLDING SAID MECHANISM AGAINST SAID INWARDLY PROJECTING SHOULDER. 